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Shop Talk with Ray
VanAllsburg
Engine Pro Super Stock driver
by Brian Nelson
Someone once said "It's not what you know; it's who you
know." For Engine Pro Super Stock driver Ray VanAllsburg,
finding success in the racing world required a little of
both.
Although the roots of Ray's family tree donıt run deep
into the racing history, he says heıs always been a fan of
the sport. "My dad and I used to go to Berlin when I
was a little kid," Ray said. "We watched Bob Senneker and
those guys...and I knew someday I'd be out there -
hopefully driving."
VanAllsburg may never have made it behind the wheel of a
stock car if not for the owner of an auto parts near his
neighborhood. "It all started when I was still in
high school," Ray said. "I'd ride my bike past this auto
parts store and someone told me they had a race car out
back. So one day, I rode back to watch the guys work on
it."
The auto parts store was owned by long-time Berlin
participant and current host of The Racing Show (106.9
WMUS) George Keen.
"He'd sit there and watch us work all night long," said
Keen. "One night I asked him to get me a wrench from the
tool box and I wound up inviting him out to the track to
help."
Not long after, in 1985, VanAllsburg would be asked to
share time behind the wheel of Keenıs brown Chevy Nova #48
Sportsman car. Ray drove the car on Friday nights at the
Kalamazoo Speedway, while George's son Robert Keen piloted
the Sportsman on Saturday nights at Berlin Raceway.
"I won my first race at Berlin though," Ray added. "Robert
and I would switch tracks every once in a while. So one
weekend, he went down to Kalamazoo, and I raced at Berlin.
We wound up winning a Sportsman consolation (B feature)
race."
"After that season," Ray said, "Geo sold the car. I got
into Enduro racing and helped with Buddy Stewart's Late
Model. I bounced around just to stay involved in racing."
By 1987, Ray was again behind the wheel of a race car. He
and his boss Glen Neville built two Sportsman cars - one
of which would be driven by VanAllsburg.
"I never really did much in that car," Ray said, "other
than win a couple heat races; but working with Glen gave
me a love for building race cars. I sure learned a lot
from him!"
Then, in 1991, he and his girlfriend Nikki decided to take
their relationship to the next level. So they purchased a
Sportsman race car of their own. "I got my first feature
win in that car," Ray said, "and it was just a V-6 when
everyone else had V-8 power."
But after two seasons of competition, Ray and Nikki,
strapped for cash, sold the car to their friend Henry
Fellows who still allowed Ray to drive it at Berlin.
The 1995 season brought a new class of competition to the
Berlin Raceway: The Engine Pro Super Stocks. Ray, who was
employed by Huiskens Racing, helped to build 16 of the 24
new Super Stock cars that would compete at Berlin during
the upcoming season. One of the cars he built was
purchased by his Sportsman team owner Henry Fellows and
driven by Ray VanAllsburg. It is the same car his previous
owner George Keen now owns and fields for the "Ride of
Your Life" experience.
"That first year of Super Stock competition was wild," Ray
said. "We managed one feature win that year running
against guys like Tim DeVos, Tim Yonker, Denny Anderson,
Brian Wiersma, and Alan Marcott. As I recall, we finished
seventh or eighth in points."
Again, at the close of the season, Rayıs ride seemed to be
slipping away from him as his owner decided he wanted to
get out of the sport and would sell the car. If Ray and
his new wife Nikki wanted to race in 1996, they'd have to
buy the car themselves.
Once again, Ray and Nikki were more than social partners;
they were racing partners. Together, they funded and
operated the team through the 1998 Super Stock season.
Rayıs best season came in 1998 as he won three feature
races and finished fourth in Super Stock points. But
paying to repair a race car that competed in a division
notorious for crashes and close-quarters racing demanded
more than Ray and his wife were willing to pay. So, at the
close of the 1998 season, Ray and Nikki sold the car he'd
built and raced for four years to a new Super Stock
competitor: Matt Keltner.
As Ray spent the 1999 season driving a Coors Light Late
Model for his new boss, Vern Slagh, he kept a close eye on
the team that owned his old car.
"I gave some technical advice to Matt (Keltner) and helped
them all I could," Ray said. "But I had my hands full with
Vern's Late Model. It was a big learning curve. We started
out well, but back then there were over 60 Late Models
competing - so it was tough."
Before too long, Ray's Late Model team was jumping back
and forth between A and B Late Model features. During his
rookie Late Model season, however, he wound up winning one
B feature race, and finished eighth in the class's main
event race two times.
After the final checkered flag waved on the 1999 season,
Ray and his wife Nikki welcomed their daughter into the
world and decided to take the 2000 season off in the
interest of family. But as Ray was away, Matt Keltner
drove Rayıs former car to a Super Stock championship.
"Matt won the championship without ever winning a feature
race," Ray said. "So he and Larry (Keltner) asked me to
help them out in 2001. I had the desire to get back into
it and wound up working with Matt to coach him to victory
lane."
That season, under Ray's tutelage, Matt set a Berlin
Raceway record for winning more races than had any other
Super Stock driver during a regular season. Keltner
visited victory lane seven times in 2001, but finished
second in points to the consistent Rick Eding.
After the 2001 season, Ray was ready to settle down at
home and welcome another baby to the family. Although, he
would act as a part-time consultant for Matt Keltner
during the 2002 season, Ray's attention was primarily
given to his wife and two kids.
Then, as the 2002 racing season drew close, another family
team was preparing to race a rookie season in the Engine
Pro Super Stock division. Area go-cart star Brandon
Braisted and his father Mike had heard about Rayıs ability
to coach drivers and set up race cars, and wooed
VanAllsburg back to Berlin for Brandonıs run at a Rookie
of the Year title.
"I think George (Keen) suggested it to Mike," Ray said.
"They were looking for someone who knew a lot about Berlin
to mentor him (Brandon)."
VanAllsburg coached Brandon Braisted to a feature win on
the third night of the season, and helped him remain a
consistent contender all season long. In 2003, Brandon
finished third in Engine Pro Super Stock points, and
clinched the Rookie of the Year title.
As satisfying as it was to help both Keltner and Braisted
accomplish their racing dreams, Ray again itched to get
back behind the wheel of a race car.
"It's hard to sit there and watch," Ray said. "I'd watch
Matt and Brandon race and say to myself, I can do this! I
knew I still knew how to win."
As the 2003 season came to a close, Ray was working toward
securing a ride for the following season.
"I knew of a ride that might be open. My wife and I had
talked. So, I spoke with Randy Ellen (Eaglewood Racing) at
the Super-shoe race in Kalamazoo. A week later, he called
me."
This season, Ray VanAllsburg pilots the Eaglewood Racing
#5 Super Stock. Although he has yet to win a feature this
year, Ray sits fifth in points and says he's ready to win.
Every week, he works on his car at a race shop owned by
the man who gave him his start in racing: George Keen.
Ray says the best part about his nearly 20-year racing
career has been the relationships he's developed along the
way.
"The most rewarding thing so far," Ray said, "is the
people I've grown close to...like George. If it weren't
for those people, I wouldn't have been able to do any of
it at all."
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